A Blessing in Disguise
by emilieparrilla
Summary: For invinciblepotts of tumblr. The new curse that hits Storybrooke is something completely unexpected. Swan Queen. Holiday fun and hilarity ensues!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Hey, guys, it's been a while :( I'm sorry to say that school has kept me away from here and the internet so much. This is part of a Swan Queen Secret Santa on tumblr and my fic is for ****_inviciblepotts_****. I hope you like it Jen 3 And everyone else of course!**

**Basically, this is set a while after Neverland and everyone makes it back to Storybrooke alive. It's December of course :P Emma and Regina are not 'together' but they are friends now and share custody of Henry. Any other questions, just drop me a message :D**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

* * *

"Regina!" shouted Emma.

"Miss Swan, I am _trying_ to prepare dinner. This is the third time you have interrupted me," responded Regina "Are you so incapable that you can't simply shower yourself?"

"God, you're absolutely fucking hilarious, Regina," retorted Emma, supressing a smile "Do you have to sass me on everything?"

"It's too tempting to resist, my dear."

"Yeah, well, seriously, you really need to take a look outside."

"If you insist, Miss Swan. But this had _better_ be worth it!"

Only marginally irritated, Regina wiped her floury hands on her apron, made sure nothing was about to go up in flames and followed a half-naked Emma outside.

"Emma, is there any particular reason that you aren't wearing any pants?" she asked, cocking her head to the side, amused.

"I forgot," shrugged Emma.

"You forgot to put some pants on - in the middle of winter?"

"That – is slightly more worrying than my lack of clothes."

Regina lifted her eyes (not before rolling them though) and saw the red haze rolling across the sky towards the heart of Storybrooke. Just on Mifflin Street, several citizens were emerging from their homes and gazing up at the sky in a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"You have_ got _to be kidding me," said Ruby, jogging up to the pair "You get rid of one curse and another one just _saunters _in."

"Technically, we don't know it's a curse. It could be… a blessing…," replied Regina."

"Yeah, and I'm Santa Clause!" said Emma.

"Oh I don't know, more like Rudolph," retorted Red, ducking away from her friend with a laugh.

"Hey, you're the wolf, remember!"

"If you are quite finished, we have a curse heading straight at us and we have no idea who or what is behind it. Or their motives. Now is not the time for-"

"Sorry," replied the two women, Ruby still laughing lightly.

"But for the record, you two would definitely be getting coal in your stockings, and a poisoned apple!"

"See, Regina, you are capable of having Christmas fun," teased Emma.

"Oh shut up, Miss Swan, or you won't live to see Christmas!"

"Um, guys… I really think we should do something about that!" interrupted Ruby.

They all looked up to see the cloud was slowly ringing Storybrooke, appearing to be forming a dome. It seemed to be changing between red and an almost translucent white colour. This was definitely not an average curse.

"Ruby, go and get Henry from school. Bring him here," ordered Regina, her maturity back instantaneously

"What are you two going to do?" asked Ruby.

"We're going to try and stop this… thing," responded the mayor "Hurry up. We don't have time."

* * *

When Ruby arrived with Henry, who was much too cheerful in a situation like this, Regina and Emma were sitting cross legged on the grass of the front garden, holding hands and whispering with their eyes closed.

"It looks like a bloody cult," Ruby muttered to herself, rubbing her hands together.

It might be winter, but in the last fifteen minutes, the temperature had plummeted. A sheen of frost dusted everything, making the streets of Storybrooke glisten and the cloud which had almost fully encased the town now, seemed to absorb any heat that was left.

Henry stood watching his two mothers, fascinated, until Emma's body began quivering and their joined hands started to emit a dazzling blue light. As the shaking increased, so did Regina's chanting. Emma let loose a scream and both women's eyes snapped open.

"Mom!" shouted Henry, rushing forward, yelping when he hugged Emma.

"What's the matter, kid?" she asked, worriedly.

He opened his hands to reveal faint burn marks.

"Jesus Christ!" she exclaimed "Does it hurt?"

"Miss Swan! Language!" chastised Regina.

A bang echoed in the streets and around Storybrooke, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to the sky to see that the dome had joined overhead and was now a shimmering pink. There were faint popping sounds and then flakes of snow began to fall.

"Did you manage to do anything?" asked Ruby.

"No, it's all happening too fast," said Regina "Whatever magic it is, I've never seen it before. We're not powerful enough!"

In the seconds that followed, the weather turned to blizzard conditions, strong winds whipping the snow round and round in the air.

"Bloody hell!" complained Emma "What sort of curse is this!"

"Come inside!" said Henry, arms folded "Unless you all want to freeze, of course!"

"Obviously he inherits your sarcasm," grumbled the saviour.

"Well, at least he didn't inherit your idiocy, Emma, dear," mocked Regina "Now, we best do as he says."

* * *

The adults sat in the living room, wrapped in ten layers each, beside the fire. The temperature was decreasing rapidly and it seemed nothing (not even hot chocolate with cinnamon and marshmallows) could warm them up. Even Henry's spirits seemed dampened, although he still jumped around the room, swinging his wooden practice sword. Things must be bad, Emma thought, Regina was letting him swing that thing round without a second glance at her prized ornaments.

"Why couldn't you have sent us to somewhere nice and warm… like Australia," moaned Ruby, rubbing her hands together "It feels like we've landed in the fucking North Pole."

"Miss Lucas!" barked Regina, the words she'd said in at least twenty minutes.

"Oh, she speaks," she replied "Can't you try some more magic?"

"No! You saw what reaction Emma had. Trying again could seriously hurt her – or worse."

The woman rose from the couch, folding her arms across her chest, and moving to the window. Something none of them had dared to do.

"Aww, Regina, I never knew you cared," teased Emma, trying to hide the fact that hearing the queen say she wanted to protect her was the best thing she'd heard all day.

"Um, mom, what's wrong?" asked Henry, lowering the sword.

"Regina?" said Emma and Ruby in unison, moments later.

The queen remained stoically silent by the window, gripping the mug so tightly that Emma feared she would crush it into smithereens.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Thank you for the response :) I hope you all like what I do with this. You'll find out where the others are quite soon and what the curse actually is. To the anon reviewer, they are friends at the start of this fic but could become more than that by the end ;) Please review and also follow/fav. I'm so grateful for any feedback.**

**Rachel xx**

* * *

"We're not in Storybrooke anymore," said Regina, eventually.

"WHAT?"

"Oh fuck, it's like the Wizard of Oz, isn't it! I can't just be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Oh no, now I'm bloody Dorothy too!"

Regina and Ruby looked at her blankly, the former not even attempting to correct her cursing, while Henry grinned at her.

"Modern world thing," Emma mumbled, quickly.

"Yes, well, this world is definitely not modern," responded Regina, releasing the mug and placing it on the window ledge, wringing her hands instead "We're back home."

"No way!" Ruby exclaimed, red painted lips forming an 'o' shape.

"The Enchanted Forest? That is _so_ cool!"

"Wait! The Enchanted Forest? As in THE Enchanted Forest?" asked Emma in disbelief. She was home. Well, hardly home. She'd spent all of two minutes in this land before she'd been shipped to Maine via magical wardrobe by her fairytale parents. Now she thought of it, what had happened to them. And the rest of the town.

"Can we go to your castle, mom? Am I a prince now? Emma, you're officially a princess! Can we organise a ball? Where are grandpa and grandma? This is _so_ cool!"

"Henry, go and pack a backpack. Clothes and such. We may not return here for a while," said Regina.

Henry, a bundle of pure excitement, leapt from his position on the floor and bounded up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Hey, 'Gina, what's with all the tension? It can't be that bad here," said Emma, laying a hand on her forearm.

"Oh no, Emma, it's all rainbows and sunshine here, isn't it! Why do you think I cast the curse and ripped the heart of my own father out?" snapped Regina, pulling her arm away.

"Because of my mother and father?"

"I didn't cast the curse just to have my revenge, Emma Swan; I cast the curse to escape it all. This place holds bad memories for so many citizens of my town. They may fake anger and outrage but they know they were so much better off in Storybrooke. No poverty. No sexism. No class barriers. A fresh start. Is that really evil? Was the curse really so bad?"

"I-"

"I don't hate you for the curse, Regina," began Ruby "I understand what you went through; the pressure of a mother who controlled your life, the father who was absent in body or spirit but I thank you for the curse. Back here, I was hunted down for being myself, _ashamed_ of being myself. And your curse saved me from that. So thank you, Regina, truly."

Regina had been listening with her mouth slightly agape and was still uncharacteristically silent when the young woman had finished her rather impassioned speech.

"I tried to kill your best friend…" was all she managed.

"And I killed my own boyfriend," replied Ruby with a weak smile "People change. I learned to control the wolf in me, and you have learned to control your anger and hatred for Snow, haven't you?"

"If there was a good thing about Henry being kidnapped, it was that it made me realise just how precious life is. I don't want to waste any more of it withering in loathing and killing just to feel something, anything. I don't want to be numb anymore," said Regina, unsure as to why she was opening up to these two women like she had with nobody else "And I don't have to do."

"You were a right pain in the ass, Regina, but I've seen you in action. If you really wanted to kill me, you could have done it while manicuring those flawless nails of yours," continued Emma "You stopped being evil a long time ago. All it takes is a little love."

"You never had love though. Because of me and my desire for vengeance." Of everything she'd done in her life that was the thing she felt the worst about. Ripping a child away from her mother's breast and leaving her to live a life where she thought she had been unwanted and a burden.

"Regina, I appreciate your concern, but that at least wasn't your fault. My parents sent me through that wardrobe alone and they can preach that it was for my best chance all they like. A part of them wanted me to save everyone, rather than keep me cursed with them," said Emma, blinking back a tear and ignoring Ruby's uncomfortable look "What would you have done with me had I not been sent through? Would you have killed me?"

"Killed you? No… I could never kill a baby – no matter who her parents were. I was hoping to raise you in the new land. An old acquaintance told me that casting the curse would leave me empty inside. I wanted a purpose… Revenge is a very tiresome and lonely road. It takes so much energy to hate and kill when all you want to do is weep."

Emma thought Regina was just about to cry and was subsequently going to hug the older woman as Ruby stood awkwardly looking at the carpet. Thankfully, Henry rushed into the room, slinging his backpack over her shoulder and yapping excitedly about wanting to go out in the snow.

"Henry, go and wait outside with Ruby, darling. Emma and I will get some provisions ready. Just a precaution, ok," she said, ruffling his hair and giving him a gentle shove towards the door.

Ruby nodded and gave her a tiny smile, understanding that the queen needed a moment alone. It must be incredibly hard to be a full time single mother, she thought. It was a miracle how she had coped, alone in a town of strangers.

Regina turned on her heel and rushed into the kitchen, shouting orders at Emma who rushed to obey, grabbing candles and matches and all sorts of bits and bobs. In the kitchen, Regina grabbed a bag and used magic to expand it inside before dumping cans and dried food in, adding the contents of the sweet cupboard as a last thought. How had she lived on a diet of tough meat and no chocolate?

A tear seemed to escape the prison behind her eyelids and she hastily wiped it away, placing both hands on the cool counter to stabilise herself. What on earth had possessed her to tell them that? To admit all her weaknesses? True, both had shared parts of their soul with her, but they did not have as much to hide. If she opened the doors to her inner self, what was to stop everything flooding out and drowning her in grief and guilt.

"Regina, I can't find the bloody soap," shouted Emma, frustrated.

"Coming, dear," she responded, the familiar sarcasm helping her to overcome her breakdown "

* * *

The snow crunched beneath their feet and Regina thanked the gods that she wasn't wearing her high heels. Still, she had grown accustomed to the even pavements of Storybrooke and trudging through rough grassy woods was arduous enough without the awful weather. Henry and Ruby seemed excited though, walking ahead and laughing. When they'd left the safety of her mansion, the snow hadn't seemed too deep but it soon became apparent that it had somehow snowed much heavier closer to the trees. To make it all the worse, the clouds had formed overhead and the first flakes of fresh snow were drifting down.

"I hate snow," she grumbled under her breath, as her foot disappeared in the whiteness.

Behind her, Emma grinned. She'd always enjoyed winter and the cold. Summer was a nightmare for her; giving her dreadful sunburn if she stayed out for too long and making school even more nightmarish for someone who liked to run free. As a result, she could confidently say she was able to walk miles in the snow as well as on normal ground. Regina, however, could not. The blonde felt bad as she stumbled, half blind (as the snow had picked up) but she decided it would be best to let her process her thoughts following the torrent of heartfelt confessions no more than an hour ago.

Regina concentrated on putting one foot in front of the door. She had lost sight of all of her companions around five minutes ago but she was too tired to bother calling for them. The snow was whirling around and all she could see was white. It reminded her of the soft pillows back in her bedroom. Why had they left her house anyway? Oh yes, Henry had wanted to explore. And she supposed they would need to find the others. Lost in her thoughts, she gave a shrill scream as her foot slipped on some hidden ice and she tumbled forward. The only thing that saved her from rolling down the hill was that she'd managed to grab onto a protruding root in desperation, ankle throbbing and fingers burning.

"Regina!" came the panicked voice moments later.

"Mm," she responded, faintly, laying her head on her arm as she still clung too exhausted to even attempt to full herself up to a flatter surface.

"Fuck, Regina," said Emma, catching sight of a blue blazer.

She grabbed Regina's wrists and hauled her roughly up to where she kneeled, ignoring the freezing wetness seeping through her jeans. The brunette rolled her eyes at the cursing but didn't comment, finding the snow a surprisingly comfy bed.

"Regina, what the hell? Why didn't you tell me you were about to collapse?" asked Emma.

"I didn't collapse! I tripped!" protested Regina, indignantly.

"Yeah, and now you're half asleep. The cold isn't even registering with you! You'll catch you're death out here!"

"I just need to rest… for five minutes…"

"It's the magic, isn't it? You were controlling most of it, so I wouldn't get hurt."

"You sounded insulted. I was protecting you. You're completely inexperienced in magic, Emma. It is a deadly thing. You could have been hurt had I not."

"You're such an idiot," groaned Emma with a hint of tenderness, lifting the queen's head and laying it in her lap "Now, I'm just going to have to give you some energy _back_."

"Miss Swan, were you dropped on your head as a child or are you just a complete and utter fool?" drawled Regina, still finding the strength to mock.

"Oh, shut up. And let me help. Just close your eyes until I figure something out."

"As you wish, princess. But please, don't kill yourself in the process. Henry might think I murdered you in a fit of exasperation."

Her words came out rather forceful but Regina could feel the darkness pulling her in. She closed her eyes and imagined a roaring fire, and a hot chocolate with whipped cream, _lots_ of whipped cream and a classic novel. It was almost like heaven. She should open her eyes. Make sure the idiotic blonde didn't do anything stupid.

But it was so nice, so peaceful…


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Sorry for the delay! I am now finally on Christmas break though so I should hopefully be able to upload more quickly :) Thanks for all the favs/follows/reviews. It truly means a lot and I'm sorry I don't reply to each individually. I just don't have the time. But I'm so grateful! Please continue to let me know what you think :D **

**Happy holidays!**

**Rachel xx**

* * *

Regina drifted slowly back to consciousness and opened her eyes to blurriness. The room was dark and silent save for her heavy breathing. She couldn't see a thing.

"Emma?" she asked in a croak.

She coughed several times before realising it would probably be helpful to sit up. To her joy, there was a cup of water on the stand beside her. She gulped it down, forgetting the age old habit of testing for poison. After all, you could never be too careful in a world of enemies. Since they had been dropped back in The Enchanted Forest, she would have to keep her guard up. The thought made her feel more exhausted but she pushed herself to her feet with a lot of determination.

"Emma!" she repeated, louder this time.

There was still no response. To her shame, she found herself getting worried about the blonde. When did she become so weak and pitiful? _Some evil queen_.

After a couple more futile shouts, she braced her hand on the rough surface of the wall and looked around the… cave? Aside from her sleeping mat and the small table beside it, there was nothing was nothing and no-one else there. She was considering just laying down again when she saw a faint light. Curiosity got the better of her and she automatically followed it, hand twitching at her side, desperate to use magic. As the light brightened, she shielded her eyes from the rising sun.

What she saw (once she was no longer blinded) made her pause and stare in wonder. Lying propped up against a fallen log was Emma, snoring lightly as the fire's embers crackled with the last of their life. She stood as still as possible, just watching as the blonde slept peacefully. She'd never seen her so vulnerable before – it was rather adorable. A wave of dizziness passed over her and her vision became strangely tunnelled. _No_, she thought before her legs crumpled and she hit the ground on her knees. When she came to again, moments later, she was surprised to see that Emma still hadn't stirred even though she had fainted silently. She stood again, carefully, and smiled when she felt stable. There was nothing she despised more than being reliant on other people. As she moved to step back towards the cave's entrance, her toe collided with a rock and she yowled.

A lifetime of honing her survival instincts had Emma on her feet before she was even awake. She was alert and whirling round before Regina could utter a word. The saviour so the figure and launched a fireball at it, blindly, gasping for breath.

"EMMA!" growled a very familiar voice.

_Oh shit. _

"Oh god, Regina, I'm such a fucking idiot!" Emma launched into a torrent of apologies.

"Relax, Miss Swan, I'm not going to incinerate you," she grumbled, lowering her hand and flexing her wrist "It's fortunate I have magic, isn't it, or I'd have a hole burnt through my chest!"

"I'm sorry, 'Gina, I didn't think."

"Oh, never mind. What I would like to know, is how exactly you were able to launch a fully functional fireball at me when in our lessons you couldn't so much as light a candle."

"Um, it just kinda happened really… I was just focused on protecting you. After you said about all your enemies in the Enchanted Forest. I guess I was angry too…"

"Magic is emotion, Emma. If you had just _listened_…"

"I did listen!"

"I didn't mean to insult you, Emma. On the contrary, I wanted to say that I'm proud of you. And I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For protecting me?"

The brunette smiled. It was a beautiful smile, Emma thought to herself, and such a rare sight that she felt like she'd witnessed something as special as the Northern Lights.

"It was nothing…"

"Can't you just accept some recognition, you infuriating woman," said Regina, fondly "I do not give it freely."

"Anyone would have done the same, Regina. It was nothing special."

"Everyone in this land either hates me or barely tolerates me because of Henry. Most would be happy to see me turn into an ice statue. So thank you. It couldn't have been easy… Getting us to this cave."

Emma didn't know how to reply to that so she gave a tentative smile instead.

"On that note, where is our son? And the wolf girl?" asked Regina, looking around as if Henry might just pop out.

"Yeah… About that…" responded Emma, chewing her bottom lip "We sort of lost them… And when you collapsed, I was more worried about you and the possibility of you freezing to death."

"Emma, don't look so worried. I'm not going to go all _Evil Queen_ on you. You were doing what you had to do, and I can hardly fault you for that," continued Regina "Henry will be safe with Ruby, I know that. And with any luck they've run into your infuriatingly optimistic family and we can try and figure out a way back home."

"So you're not angry?"

"Not _much_. I'm the one that decided to faint in the middle of a wasteland buried under mountains of snow because of my damned stupid pride."

"Well, since I've still got all body parts intact," began Emma with a chuckle "I'll try and magic us up something to eat."

"Go and rest, Emma, I'll make us breakfast. I would hate for you to collapse out of exhaustion," said Regina with a smirk.

"So considerate," drawled the blonde.

"Rest, Miss Swan," ordered Regina "Or I might just throw you into a tree so you have absolutely no choice in the matter."

"Yes, doctor," Emma saluted.

"Rest!"

"You couldn't magic up some of those delicious apple and cinnamon pancakes, could you?"

"Don't push it!"

The two women laughed as Emma scurried away inside the cave and Regina waved a hand over the fire, making the flames leap higher in a strangely mesmerising sort of dance.

* * *

The two woman were once again trudging through the snow, although this time they walked side by side. It was silent between them, but not awkwardly so. Emma was perfectly content to walk quietly after a few hours sleep and some of Regina's pancakes (for a queen, she was remarkably easy to persuade, with some puppy dog eyes, that is). Regina walked more carefully, determined not to slip again. It was easier, after a good breakfast and some time to gather her thoughts.

"We should try a locator spell," said Regina.

"More magic? Regina, I'm not so sure that that's a good idea," responded Emma, snapping out of her own thoughts. Mostly about a lovely cup of piping hot, strong coffee.

"Emma, I have been doing magic for half a century. I absorbed too much of it, that's all. I am back to full strength again. Watch." She demonstrated by creating a fireball in her hand and throwing it full force against a nearby tree. Emma watched as the snow on the branches melted from the heat and began to drip down.

"What did that poor tree ever do to you?"

"Miss Swan! We need to find our son immediately! Since you are far too inexperienced to do this magic, you either do it with me or I do it alone."

"Ok, ok! But promise me; as soon as something feels wrong, you tell me, and we stop. I don't want you passing out on me again."

"Yes, doctor," Regina imitated her with a wicked smirk.

"Regina!" whined Emma.

"Yes, doctor?"

"Stop it!"

"Let's just do the spell."

Emma couldn't see her face, but she knew that the brunette was rolling her eyes right about now. She could see why she had found it so amusing to challenge and irritate the mayor when she'd first arrived in Storybrooke.

* * *

Emma was kneeling on the icy ground, head back and eyes closed. Her hands were pressed against Regina's hips (supposedly the best point of magical transfer).That made the blonde blush like hell but luckily, if asked, she could blame it on the coldness. Regina outwardly seemed perfectly calm and composed, but as she concentrated on the spell, she felt her skin tingle under the slight pressure of Emma's fingers. She shivered.

"Are you ready, Emma?"

"Yes. But I'm still not sure what exactly I'm supposed to do…"

"Just focus. Visualise all of your magic, your golden magic, flowing into my blood and mixing with my purple magic. Don't let yourself be distracted. Keep your eyes _closed_."

"Got it."

"Ok…"

Regina raised her hands high above her head, palms turned toward the sky. She felt the stream of foreign magic enter her body and combine to make her feel almost indestructible. It was strange that she was now trusted with such immense power, without question. Her _friend_, was giving it to her, trusting her not to tear her apart despite her not-so-distant past. God that was a strange thought.

"Regina, is it working?"

"Yes."

Clearing her mind of all thoughts, she began to picture Henry; his mussed brown hair, his twinkling green eyes, his million dollar smile. Her love for him. She could almost feel him, standing next to her, laughing about something that only a child could find so funny. Concentrating on all of those new emotions, she began to chant his name. Henry. Henry. Henry. Henry. Henry. Over and over again. From her hands, a ray of purple light shot out, hiding some sort of invisible shield over the land and spreading across the sky.

Emma jumped at the explosion and the flow of power stopped momentarily before she recalled Regina's words_. Don't let yourself be distracted_. She refocused herself and heard Regina's almost inaudible sigh of relief.

"It's done," said Regina, moments later, breathing deeply from the exertion.

The blonde's eyes snapped open and she looked automatically to the sky to see lines of purple in all directions, slowly fading.

"Did it work?" she asked, hopeful.

"Sort of. It's complicated," responded Regina "Look over there. In the West. The lines are broader, a darker colour. He's in that general area. Once we get closer, the path will be shown to us."

"I guess we should get going then. We have a few hours till it gets dark."

"It's a few days' walk, Emma. _Believe me_. The terrain does not make for comfortable travelling."

"So we make camp here?"

"No, Emma, I suggest we go to my castle. I know the way like the back of my hand so we can travel through the night. And tomorrow, we can take the horses to go and get our son."

"Ok, then. As long as you magic me up some coffee when we get there."

"Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Wow, I'm writing quickly today hehe :D Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

For the first hour of the journey, both women were silent, still recovering their strength from the magic. For the second hour, they reminisced about the past and even managed to joke about their rather immature tactics (namely Emma cutting down Regina's apple tree and Regina giving her mountains of paperwork). For the third hour, they tried to figure out what the hell had happened in Storybrooke and why they'd been brought to the Enchanted Forest and if they were the only ones here.

During the fourth hour, they were taking a break as the sun slowly disappeared, when they heard heavy footsteps. Regina was on her feet in an instant, despite feeling exhausted, her hands up. Emma searched the ground and fortunately located a long stick. She snapped it in half and held the splintered end away from her body, like a sword. At that moment, a middle-aged man, covered in dirt and soaked from the snow, rushed in, carrying an unconscious woman over his shoulder.

"Can you… help… me?" he asked, panting. He collapsed to his knees, the woman's body falling to the snow and lying motionless.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Emma, still wielding her weapon.

"I don't know… She's my wife! Help her, please!" replied the man.

"Who are you?" asked Regina.

"My name is Robin."

"Robin Hood?" questioned Emma.

"Yes, you know of me?"

"Not really… Is this Marian?"

"Yes! Please help her!"

The man looked so pitifully desperate that Emma lowered her makeshift weapon, dropping it to the ground as she knelt by the woman. She laid a hand on her forehead, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on her back, the woman straddling her and holding a dagger to her throat. _Fuck_.

"Don't move, princess," said Robin, picking up her stick as he advanced towards Regina, who was staring at him with a look of pure venom. It terrified even Emma, to see how quickly she could turn.

"If you take another step, I will blast you into oblivion," threatened Regina, her voice emotionless.

"And my wife will cut your pretty friend's throat."

"You're not going to do that, Robin Hood."

"Oh will I not?"

"If you touch her, you will not only face my wrath but that of her family. I'm not sure you want that. Let her go, and I will allow you to leave with your lives."

"I have been running from royals for my whole life. I hold no fear for the Charmings and their minions."

"Let me make this abundantly clear. If Emma dies, I will kill your dear wife here, slowly and painfully and then I will do the same to you. So think carefully."

While Regina was momentarily distracting them, Emma looked up at the woman who was currently crushing her to see that she was paying attention to the queen and her husband, and not to her captive. She slowly brought one hand closer to her head and then moved with the speed of a serpent. The dagger was wrenched from Marian and she flipped her over before dragging her to her feet. Emma pulled her head back by her hair, exposing her neck. She placed the blade there.

"What do you want, Robin Hood?" she asked, glancing at Regina, who gave her a devilish smile.

"Revenge," he said with a growl.

"For what?"

"My friends and I were hunted through the forests for decades, just for stealing a lousy piece of bread and suchlike. Because she had high taxes. Because she didn't _care_!"

"That's not true," said Regina "I did care."

"Well, it didn't look like it," spat Robin.

"It is not my fault that you couldn't find work, that you resorted to thievery. The law is the law. However, if you had come to me, I could have perhaps found you a job. Contrary to popular belief, I wanted to be a good queen. I just never had the chance."

Everyone seemed at a loss for words then and there was silence, until Marian whimpered and Emma realised she was holding the knife perhaps too closely to the skin.

"Let the girl go, Emma. She won't try anything now," said Regina.

Surprised, Emma complied and allowed the girl to fall to the ground. Mercy was not something she expected from Regina, especially after being blackmailed. Marian was on her feet and backing towards Robin, weaponless and defenceless. Emma watched her, but as Regina said, she didn't try anything. Her husband brushed her hair from her face, gave her a quick kiss and then they stood side by side to face the queen.

"If you are going to kill us, do it," he challenged.

"I won't kill you_, this time_," decided Regina, her expression still hard "I'm giving you a second chance. Use it wisely. Perhaps if I had one, a _proper_ one, I'd have went down a different path."

"You're sparing us?" asked Marian, sceptically "The Evil Queen?"

"Here's some advice: don't waste your life on searching for vengeance," finished Regina "Now go, while you can. Next time, you will not be so fortunate." Without thanks or even acknowledgement, Robin took Marian's hand and they disappeared into the trees.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, Emma?" asked Regina, as they continued walking.

"Peachy," replied Emma "Just a bit shaken up. It's not every day you get a dagger held to your throat."

"I'm sorry you got dragged into my quarrels. I told you we would more than likely face enemies."

"It's ok. I knew you would have saved me, anyway. You'd have thought of something."

"You believed in me? To save your life rather than escape with my own?"

"Yes," responded Emma and added as an afterthought "Was I wrong to?"

"No, Emma. I would have given myself up for you. If all else failed."

"Why?" asked Emma, surprised.

"Because you are innocent. You don't deserve to be punished for my actions."

"I… I would have saved you too. You do know that, right?"

Regina nodded.

"You've been punished more than enough for whatever you did in the past. You're changing, we've all seen it. And you'll have to live with the guilt for the rest of your life. That's punishment enough."

"Is it though? I took so many lives…"

"Listen, 'Gina, nobody here knows who you are _now, _and that's what counts. The next time anyone tries anything, I'll stop them," vowed Emma "We'll be the Bonnie and Clyde of the Enchanted Forest."

"Who?" asked Regina.

For the fifth and final hour of their journey, Emma told Regina the story of Bonnie and Clyde and about a whole other manner of other modern things. She rambled on for at least half an hour about Harry Potter and how much Regina needed to watch them when they returned to somewhere with a TV. Although she found the concept of it silly, Regina agreed, still overwhelmed by Emma's support. Did she really deserve it?

* * *

"We're here," said Regina.

Emma looked at the massive structure before her. It was stunning, even if it was decrepit. The black iron gates were sealed shut and all manners of plant life had grown through it in the years of abandonment. They were like a part of the landscape now.

"I put a spell on it. The curse did not transport everyone. A few remained. Many things in there are deadly to someone untrained."

The queen, looked all of a sudden very regal, walked to the gates and placed her hand on the lock. She whispered a few words and then stood back as they swung inwards with shrieks and squeals.

"After you, your majesty," said Emma, feeling her excitement peak.

"You first, Emma. I need to lock the gates again. We don't want to be slaughtered in our sleep now, do we?"

Gingerly, she stepped through. Inside, the courtyard was remarkably untouched by the winter, a result of the protection spell. Everything inside was pristine, as would be expected of someone like Regina. Emma laughed, running her hand over the top of a stone well, hearing the faint ripple of water from within.

"Come, Emma, and I'll have a meal prepared for you," said Regina, half-dragging her by the arm.

"Prepared for me? I thought all your servants were taken over?" asked Emma.

"No, like everyone else who remained here, they were frozen in time. Except, in the castle grounds, they have only just woke up. They don't know anything happened."

"You… kept them frozen?"

"I do regret it, Emma. Greatly. But I can't change the past."

"I know."

"Let me do the talking. You will only confuse them."

"But you will release them when we leave?"

"Yes, I will. I shall provide them with money and anything else they require. I am sorry for how I treated them, believe it or not."

"Well, how about this meal then, Regina. I'm starved!"

"I'll show you to a room first. You can get yourself cleaned up and I'll organise a change of clothes to be brought to you."

"Why do I need to change?"

"Miss Swan, you are _not_ sitting in my castle and dining like a queen in those filthy rags."

All the way to her room, Emma complained. But this was one thing that even her puppy

dog eyes couldn't move Regina on.

* * *

Somehow, Regina commanded one of the servants to have a bath prepared and when Emma entered her new chambers, there it was, steam pouring out of it and everything.

"How did it…?" asked Emma, seeing no lingering servants that could have filled the enormous tub.

"Magic," responded Regina, playfully.

"Very funny!"

"Just enjoy it, dear. I will have someone summon you to dine in my chambers in an hour or so. Don't be late. I despise lateness."

With a flick of her hair, she turned on her heel and stalked out, closing the door behind her with a click. Did that damn woman always have to make dramatic entrances and exits? She recalled reading about her interruption of her parents' wedding from Henry's book. Some things never change…

Emma wasted no more time confusing herself with impossible questions and eagerly stripped her sodden and torn clothing off. The only thing she gave a second thought to was her prized red leather jacket. That too, however, was too damaged beyond repair. It felt good to be free of the rather tight, uncomfortable clothing.

As she stepped into the bath, she dragged her fingers through her tangled hair before allowing herself to sink into the sweetly scented water. The heat soothed her aching muscles and she grabbed the sponge and sighed as she felt the sweat and grime fall away from her skin. She lay back, soaking her hair, and then rubbed soap into it, not stopping until there were millions of bubbles. Then, she rested against the edge of the tub, just enjoying being clean and warm and relaxed for once.

Ten minutes later, and Emma forced herself to duck under the slightly cooler water to get the soap out of her hair. She also gave herself one last scrub until her skin had turned slightly pink. Only then did she emerge from the bath, shivering. She grabbed the fluffy towel from over the screen and wrapped herself in it tightly before going and sitting opposite the roaring fire, wiggling her toes in front of it. After drying herself, she squeezed the excess water from her hair and took another towel to rub it with it. It was then she realised that she missed her hairdryer.

Oh god no, she thought as she saw it. There, over the top of another screen, was a dress. An emerald green, satin ball gown complete with petticoat and high heels. She groaned as she realised that there was nothing else in the room to where. It was this frilly monstrosity or nakedness. It was a very close decision.


End file.
